Two fascinating semi-finals set to lead climax to CEV EuroVolley 2019 in Turkey

A sell-out crowd of some 12,000 people is expected for Saturday’s semi-finals in Ankara, Turkey which will see Serbia take on Italy in a repeat of last year’s World Championship dramatic gold medal match while co-hosts Turkey will face Poland.

The historic event has been held across four countries for the first time with the participation 24 teams being a huge success ad reflecting a wave of volleyball fever across Europe and in terms of attendance to the matches. On Wednesday, an all-time record crowd of 12,000 people attended the quarter-final match between Turkey and the Netherlands in Ankara, while 9,390 people witnessed Poland’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Germany at Atlas Arena in Lodz.

Saturday’s semi-final get underway at 17.00 (local time) with a fascinating match-up in prospect between Serbia and Italy. The two nations (including as Serbia’s predecessors Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro) have played each other six times at the European Championship, with three victories apiece, the most recent clash being in the quarter-finals of the same competition in 2013 which Serbia won 3-0.

In 2007, Italy beat Serbia 3-0 in the gold medal match. Serbia won last year’s World Championship title after a 3-2 win in the final against the Italians, however Italy have already beaten Serbia 3-1 in this year’s FIVB Volleyball Nations League. So with honours even and victories see-sawing between the two nations, Saturday’s meeting promises to be a fascinating encounter.

The same applies to the second semi-final between co-hosts Turkey and Poland that follows at 19.30 local time. The two teams will meet for the third time at EuroVolley, Poland winning the final against Turkey back in 2003 (3-0) and Turkey beat Poland in the playoff round in 2017 (3-1).

Turkey however are on a four-match winning streak versus Poland in major competitions since their last defeat in the preliminary round at the European Games in 2015. Turkey then won the final against Poland at those Games held in Baku, with the two sides most recent match coming in this year’s FIVB Volleyball Nations League. Here, Turkey won 3-2 after Poland had taken a 2-0 lead.

The winner of Saturday’s semi-finals go through to the Final scheduled for 19.30 local time on Sunday, which follows the losing semi-finalists facing each other in the bronze medal match at 17.00 local time.